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1. Clover Guide training part 1
Clover Guiding basics

2. This job doesn’t exist at other
restaurants.
You are: (in order of importance)
A storyteller.
An ambassador to Clover (our advertising).
A teacher (food, flavor, and farming).
A collector of feedback.
A human being with a personality.
A walking, talking menu.
A host.
An order-taker.
A cash register.

3. 4 phases of Clover-guiding =
1.5 minutes per customer.
Our menu is intentionally vague. Why? So you can have conversations with
customers.
There are 4 phases we go through with each customer.
- Welcome (~5 seconds)
- Determine First Time Customer or Return Customer (~5 seconds)
- Help them decide what to order (~1 minute)
- Close / Share a Clover secret (~30 seconds)
These four phases have been tested over the past 9 years on hundreds of
thousands of customers. When you follow them, magic happens.

4. Phase 1/4: Welcome
We would like each and every customer who comes into a Clover restaurant to
walk away having such a great experience that they want to tell their friends!
Work hard to make customers feel welcome and comfortable. They’re more likely to get
to know you, and Clover, and try some food they might otherwise be scared of.
Greet customers right away, (before they walk past you to the counter!) No one
should wait more than 5 seconds without being acknowledged. Without
you, our menu can be confusing and overwhelming. With you, it’s an
adventure.
If it’s their first time, they might not know they’re supposed to talk to you…
Beckon folks forward. Look for opportunities to meet people who might
otherwise not be customers. Someone doesn’t have to be buying for you to be
friendly to them.
Examples: “Welcome, how’s it going?” “Come on in.” “I’ll be with you in just a second.” “Hi!
Come on down! You never have to be ready to order to talk to me”

5. Phase 2/4: First time customer or
not?
Unless you know if a customer is a first-timer or not, it’s impossible to guide
them through rest of the interaction.
The next phase will look different depending on their answer to this question,
so ask right away, immediately after the greeting.
- Even if someone says they’re “just looking,” ask. We can still tell them
about our food for future reference!
Examples: “Hi! Have you been by before?”
- If someone just walks up and orders: “Sure, you can have a Breakfast
Sandwich- It sounds like you’ve been here before…?” or “Have you had that
before?... No? Have you been to Clover before?”

6. Phase 3/4: Help Decide what to order
FIRST TIMER
Our goals with a first timer should be to:
1. Teach them how to order at Clover, (aka
how to work with a Clover Guide), and
2. Recommend something popular for their
first time.
So…
First, explain what your job is as a Clover Guide.
- Ex: “I’m your guide to the menu; I’m here to
describe the food, help you find something to
eat, and take your order when you’re ready”.
Then, give them a broad menu overview,
highlighting and describing something we’re known
for.
Then stand with them answering questions, getting
them tastes of salads, soups, or drinks they’re
curious about, and helping them decide what to
order.
RETURN CUSTOMER
Your goal is to 1. expand their experience
of the menu, 2. gather feedback, 2. get to
know them/ make their day!
- TRY THIS: “When was the last time
you were here?... We’ve got a lot of
new stuff since then- anything I
can tell you more about?
- OR THIS: “Hey, welcome back!
Have you tried the Japanese Sweet
Potato yet?”
- NEVER THIS: “What can I get for
you?” (that’s something an order-
taker says, not a Clover Guide)
If someone is on the fence, tell them if they
don’t love it, to give us some feedback and
we’ll replace it on the spot as a thank you
for trying something new.

7. Example:
(a). “We work hard everyday to keep improving our menu. Since
this is your first time with us your thoughts are extra important.
So next time you’re by, can you let us know how your Chickpea
fritter and fries tasted?”
Example:
(a) “By the way, we changed our hummus
recipe since you were last here. Could you
find me and tell me your thoughts on it on
your way out?... And here’s a little taste of
Shiso soda for while you wait!”
Phase 4/4: Close
FIRST TIMER
Continue to teach them about Clover, and
make a connection that they’ll remember.
1. Repeat the order back to them (“so a
Chickpea Fritter Platter and Hibiscus
Iced tea… that’s $12…)
1. “Would you like that open or all
wrapped up/ covered up?”
1. Tell folks that their name will be called
separately for each item as it’s ready.
3.5 Set them up to be an adventurous returning
customer: “So, I should mention that, since we
use what’s in season, the menu will look very
different the next time you’re in, so ask us a ton
of questions about the new stuff!
RETURN CUSTOMER
Deepen their connection to the Clover
Community!
1. Repeat the order back to them (“so a
Chickpea Fritter Platter and Hibiscus
Iced tea… that’s $12…)
1. Ask which packaging option they’d
prefer: “Would you like that open or all
wrapped up/ covered up?”
1. While swiping their card/ getting their
change: Share a secret, ask for
feedback, chit-chat…
1. AND… If you haven’t yet offered a
taste of something new, this is a great
time

8. Tasting Guide
- Every return customer gets a taste of something after they pay. We want to 1. introduce them to new
menu items, 2. get feedback on items in testing, and 3. say “Thank You!” for coming back.
Make sure the person working Drinks keeps you stocked with fresh drinks or a soup and plenty of
sample cups.
HOW TO GIVE OUT TASTES:
- Pour it for each person (never have a line of cups out for people to grab)
- Tell them what they’re trying
- Tell them a story/ secret about it and/or
- Ask what they think, if they’d do anything to make it better
PRO TIPS: Keep samples in one full-sized cup behind the coffee set-tup or somewhere else out of
reach, so that customers don’t grab it by accident instead of the drink they ordered. Keep a stack of
sample cups next to it.
- Say it like you mean it: “Steve just made this African Peanut Soup! Want a little taste of it?”
- Make it personal: “Hey Cynthia, have you tried the Maple Lemonade? It’s my favorite! Here…
what do you think?”
- After the transaction (so they don’t think we’re trying to sell them something) Ex: “Have you tried
the Rhubarb Agua Fresca yet? Here’s a taste while you wait for your sandwich!”

9. - If someone comes in, asks if we have meat, finds out we
don’t, and goes to leave, you have the authority to buy
them a chickpea and fries today! The only thing they have
to do is let us know what they thought! Offer with
confidence, not out of desperation!
- Taste everything. This includes eating all sandwiches all
the way through. This includes tasting all new sodas,
soups, and salads daily. You should NEVER be selling an
item that you haven’t tasted. If you can’t taste the food, you
can’t be a Clover Guide. It’s as simple as that.
- Be honest. If our fries aren’t coming out the best because
we’re in between the best potatoes, don’t be afraid to
discuss that honestly with a customer.
- Solicit detailed feedback and listen carefully to it. This is
how we’ve gotten to where we are, and it’s the only way
we’re going to get to where we’re going. (e.g. “How was it?
What could we do to make it better?). Thank anyone who
gives you feedback.
- Take care of people. If anyone feels they haven’t gotten
a good value for their money, you have the authority to
take care of them on the spot. This may mean offering a
replacement, or in some cases, a refund.
- NEVER introduce Clover as meatless, and never
describe Clover as “vegetarian.” If you don’t
understand why, have a conversation about it.
- Don’t guess. If you don’t know something, say, “I
don’t know, but I can help find out.” Nobody expects
you to know everything, not us, not customers, and
we’d much rather you were totally honest. Jot down a
note to ask your manager and we will find out. If
someone inquires about a new salad or drink you
haven’t tasted yet, be honest, and say “That one is new
to me! Let’s try it together!” and grab both of you a
taste!
- Don’t be silent if something is funky! If you have
feedback on the food or anything at all, tell us right
away. You have the power to make Clover better.
DON’TS DO’S

10. Allergies, ID’s, substitutions, and
delivering food.
Allergies are serious. If you suspect a customer has an allergy ask. If a customer declares that they
have a true allergy (not just a sensitivity or intolerance), you are required (CG or SCL) to:
- Immediately stop the order-taking process and politely hand off the transaction to the GM
or person in charge on the shift (AM or TL). Ask for an “allergy assist.” The person in charge
will connect directly with the customer. You can move on to the next person in line. *There is
nothing egg-free, wheat-free, soy-free, dairy-free, nut-free at Clover.*
You should bring out the food for certain customers: handicapped folks, people with young kids,
large groups (3+ people). Specify “DELIVERY [YOUR NAME]” next to the person’s name. The folks
behind the line will call you for a Delivery when they have completed a Group order.
You must check ID’s for anyone ordering beer. Acceptable forms of ID include driver’s licenses,
passports, and state ID. You must ask for ID before giving a sample of beer. If you have any
questions, talk to your manager before selling someone beer. There is a 2-beer limit per customer.
Our thinking on substitutions is based on our desire for efficiency and to teach employees to
make perfect Clover food. Be honest and open with customers.
-You can leave anything off an item (ex: chickpea no carrots)
-You cannot add to an item (ex: chickpea add tempeh)
- You can switch a side salad out for another (“no salad extra hummus/ Israeli” is also okay)
- The only exceptions are on the Clover secret menu, our homage to In-n-Out, which is made up of
all the requests we’ve seen over and over and over, and which are easy to execute.